Saturday, November 8, 2008

Don Boudreaux of Cafe Hayek describes the Theater of the Absurd that is America's first quagmire: Washington, DC. He eloquently opines:

It is not too much of a simplification to note that America is divided into two groups of persons: those who believe in their bones that what goes on in Washington is largely a serious quest by serious people to tackle serious problems seriously, and those who understand that what goes on in Washington is largely theater scripted so that the actors and actresses appear at first glance to be 'public servants' but in fact care for nothing nearly as much as maximizing their power and satisfying their megalomania.

I'm firmly in the later group of persons.

I started blogging shortly after the bailout passed. I was momentarily buoyed when the House voted it down that Monday a couple months ago. I saw a glimmer that the leviathan bailout might not survive in the Senate. I called both of my senators and my representative and urged no votes later in the week. That was the first time I've called my congresscritters. It will not be the last.

On Thursday of that week, after the Senate had voted overwhelmingly for the bailout, I was struck by the horrible realization that Congress was going to do something. The efficacy of the bill was not important. Larding it up with earmarks for wooden (but not plastic) arrow manufacturers didn't matter. The bailout was going to pass because Congress could never be seen as irrelevant. Don't you know that markets depend on the good graces of Congress to function? Why, it's none other than Congress that's responsible for enforcing Say's Law. Doing nothing was never a realistic option for those self-important popinjays.

And that is why they should all be fired at the end of each of their terms. Perhaps spending some time in their home districts will reacquaint them with the people they serve.

1 comment:

Most, if not all of the founding fathers were part-time politician-statesmen. If a legislator is a full-timer, or has quit his former day job, he/she/it becomes more absorbed in remaning employed than serving the public. Texas' state legislators meet once every two years, not full time with brief recesses. I concur, Darin, if they don't leave voluntarily after one term, throw 'em out. And no more revolving door.